Aztec Leadership Essay

Oftentimes, history is written from the perspective of the victors, leaving the losers' accounts of the same battlefields, wars and conflicts to be silenced. Nearly five-hundred years ago, the Spanish conquest of Mexico began on November 8, 1519 when Don Hernando Cortez and his army of six hundred men marched towards the city of Mexico and encountered the Indigenous people that occupied the land (Portilla, 1962, p. xxv). In many of the sources, what happened from the initial meeting of the two cultures to the fall of the Aztec empire in the 16th century was told primarily from the Spanish who were the victor's. The Indigenous people’s account of the fall of their own empire was suppressed and left out of these official records. However, in

Effective leadership serves as guidance so citizens have a sense of purpose and understanding when working towards a common goal. However, Aztec king Motecuhzoma proved to be a poor leader who didn't take any action and his poor judgment about the Spaniards led to the fall of the Aztec empire. Once the Spanish started marching towards Tenocitilan, there were several attacks on neighboring tribes that should have served as a warning to Motecuhzoma and his people that they would suffer the same fate if the people didn’t take action or fight back. Unfortunately, these massacres didn’t make Motecuhzoma jump into action, they only increased his own fear of what was to come. For example, after the massacre at Cholula, Portilla (1962) describes how several envoys reported what they saw to Motecuhzoma. Instead of now taking action and prepping his soldiers for war to protect the city, the king “ . . . did nothing but wait. He did nothing but resign himself and wait for them to come . . . and waited for whatever was to happen” (p. 36). Many times, it is often believed that “good things come to those who wait” but successful leaders take action and create their own path in the world. It is important to recognize that the Aztecs were accomplished warriors. With some leadership and guidance they could have been prepared and ready for battle instead of being attacked

In Aztec culture, it is important to recognize that they believed that gods were the source of all life. When the Spaniards arrived, they brought along with them the new Christian faith and were appalled at some of the Aztecs' traditions. For example, when Motecuhzoma sent out captives to be sacrificed, the Spanish responded by spitting on the ground and refusing to eat any food that was sprinkled with blood because it sickened them ( Portilla, 1962, p. 33). These differences in religion persuaded Cortez to convert the Indigenous people to the “true faith” and let go of these barbaric traditions. To start this process, since the Aztecs thought these Spaniards were gods, Cortez took advantage of these cultural differences. This is evident when Portilla (1962) states “The Aztecs. As we have said through the strangers were Quetzalcoatl and other gods returning from over the sea, while the spaniards . . . considered the Aztecs Barbarians and thought only of seizing their riches and of forcing them to become christians and spanish subjects” (xxxiii). Lastly, the trust the Aztecs had in their gods led to their ultimate downfall. For instance, during the massacre at Cholula, the Indigenous people “ had placed such confidence in their idol Quetzalcoatl that they believed no human power could